Two LPS graduates return to help students with visual impairments

December 3, 2024

Brandon Peters and Sam Bomberger are paying it forward at Lincoln Public Schools by passing along their knowledge to students with visual impairments.
 
Both LPS graduates are using their personal experiences with visual impairments to guide others this fall. Peters is a vision paraeducator who works primarily at Southwest High School, and Bomberger creates districtwide Braille materials from her office at the Hawthorne Education Building.
 
Ben Lytle and Anne Wilson are both teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVI) at LPS. They said Peters and Bomberger are influencing many people across Lincoln in their new jobs.
 
“It has been a true privilege to work alongside Brandon and Sam, knowing they were once students we supported in the classroom,” Lytle said. “Their contributions have made a profound impact on our students, and they continue to make a difference each and every day.”
 
“I would agree with Ben and add that Sam and Brandon add their real-life experiences for students and TSVIs to learn from,” Wilson said. “They represent people with disabilities in the workforce and serve as role models for all our students with visual impairments. In addition to their LPS jobs, they collaborate with all TSVIs to help students access and succeed in the educational system and other environments around them.”
 
Brandon Peters
 
Peters, a Southwest graduate, travels to his alma mater every day to help students. He works with one student on an in-person basis at Southwest, and he teaches lessons to two other students through Zoom technology. He also visits with a fourth student outside Southwest on a biweekly basis.
 
“I really enjoy doing what I do, especially being a mentor,” Peters said.

 
Peters moved to Lincoln with his family when he was five years old and attended classes at Eastridge Elementary School. He studied at both Scott Middle School and Southwest before heading to Nebraska Wesleyan University. He graduated from NWU with a degree in modern language studies and can speak Spanish fluently.
 
Peters said he is grateful for the opportunity to provide a shared experience with his students. They are aware that he is also visually impaired, which has helped him quickly build trusting connections with them.
 
“Every blind person that I’ve told that I’m helping these kids in this way has said they wished they had someone like me growing up,” Peters said. “I think having a blind mentor in these kids’ lives is very transformative.”

 
Peters participated in the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) career mentoring program for several years. One of his NFB highlights was traveling to the 2019 national convention in Las Vegas. He flew to the convention with a group ahead of his family and enjoyed meeting many people there.
 
“It was my first time going by myself, and it was kind of nerve wracking, but it was good,” Peters said.

 
Peters teaches computer skills such as copying, pasting and desktop navigation to LPS students. He also helps them learn about important educational tools such as screen reading technology.
 
“Brandon has excelled in applying his expertise in access technology for students with visual impairments, effectively fostering opportunities for equitable participation alongside their peers in the classroom,” Lytle said.
 
Peters said he has experienced many encouraging moments this fall. One of those positive memories came when he helped a student send an email to his TSVI. The child felt more confident afterwards and wanted to continue practicing the newly-acquired skill.
 
“Honestly, it felt pretty awesome doing that,” Peters said.
 
Sam Bomberger
 
Bomberger connects with students across LPS through her work as a Braillist. She transcribes a wide range of materials into Braille formats for all grade levels.
 
Bomberger took elementary classes at both Saratoga and Prescott and continued her LPS education at Irving Middle School. She earned her high school diploma from Southwest.
 
Bomberger said it has been fulfilling helping future LPS graduates every day.
 
“It’s really great,” Bomberger said. “It’s why I applied for the job in the first place. I had such great support when I was in school, and I wanted to provide that support for current students.”

 
Karen Meints has been a Braillist at LPS for 15 years and is mentoring Bomberger in their shared office. She said Bomberger is already making a positive mark with her work ethic and intelligence.
 
“It’s very encouraging,” Meints said. “Sam’s done really well. I’m impressed, because I’ve worked with a couple of other transcribers over the years, and Sam’s taken to it faster than the rest of them.”
 
Bomberger said Wilson and fellow TSVIs Jill Ihde and Diane Ditmars all played key roles in her LPS upbringing. She said they inspired her to pursue the same type of rewarding educational path.
 
“These two lovely people, along with Anne Wilson, were a fundamental part of my schooling experience and journey toward Braille literacy,” Bomberger said.

 
Louis Braille invented the Braille literacy system in 1824 in France. The Braille code includes 63 characters that are formed from a combination of one to six raised dots. The dots are arranged in a cell system and then embossed in lines on paper. People read Braille items by passing their fingers over the embossed dots.
 
Bomberger transcribes everything from lunch menus to song lyrics to textbooks for LPS students. She uses computer programs to write many Braille formats, and she works with a typewriter-like machine called a Perkins Brailler to manually transcribe other items.
 
Bomberger has also learned how to create tactile charts and graphics. This allows students to access many types of information that are not presented in traditional Braille manuscripts.
 
Bomberger honed her craft by taking part in Braille Challenge competitions while growing up. The contests include four separate timed tests that measure Braille abilities in reading comprehension, proofreading, speed/accuracy and charts/graphs. Bomberger qualified for the Braille Challenge Finals three times and traveled to Los Angeles for the national contests.
 
“It really helped me learn the code and master it,” Bomberger said. “I’m really grateful for that opportunity.”

 
Bomberger is supplementing her deep reservoir of Braille wisdom by learning more about current software programs and educational materials. Meints said she believes Bomberger will be able to pass along that knowledge to LPS students for many years to come.
 
“She knows Braille really well,” Meints said. “She knows the code, so that’s a big help. That’s usually what most people who start this job have to learn, and she doesn’t have to do that. She’s doing an awesome job.”
 
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